• Ready to start your work experience/internship?  Watch this video and review these slides to get you started!  

    You may be eligible for a paid internship through the Workability Program if you have an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP). Please reach out to Lori Schleinkofer, the Coordinator for the Workability Program and the We Can Work program, if you have an IEP or a 504 to see if you are eligible for paid work experience to fulfill your required work hours for the academy.

    Call her at 818-729-4595 or email her at: LoriSchleinkofer@burbankusd.org

    We are currently replacing the term internship with work experience. Students only need valuable work experience, but it does not have to be called an internship.

  • Required Hours: NAF has announced that it will continue to accept paid and unpaid hours for the work requirement for all graduating classes. They have also announced that they will continue to expect only 80 hours of experience. Be sure you understand that NAF required hours and the BUSD required service hours are NOT the same thing and cannot be used to meet both requirements! (To be clear: They will no longer require 120 hours or require your experience to be paid.)

  • FAQs About the Required NAF Work Experience/Internship

    When should I start my work experience/internship?  Wait until the summer after your sophomore year or the start of your junior year to begin your work experience/internship.  Most students do their work experience/internship during the summer between junior and senior year.

    How many hours do I need to complete the work experience/internship assignment?

    1. The class of 2023 needs a total of 80 hours and hours may be paid or unpaid.  
    2. The class of 2024 may also receive credit for 80 hours or paid or unpaid but ONLY IF the hours are completed by August 1, 2023.
    3. The class of 2025 must complete the original requirement of 120 hours.  NAFTrack Certification requires that students are paid or compensated.  BUSD will accept unpaid hours towards academy graduation.  
    4. NAF may still make changes, so come back here and check.
    5. You may either complete 80 hours at 1 location or 40 hours at 2 locations. 
    6. You may either complete 120 hours at 1 location or 60 hours at 2 locations. 
    7. You may NOT work a few hours at a bunch of different places.
    8. You may NOT use the same hours for service learning and your required NAF hours.

    Do I need to get paid or can I volunteer?  The classes 2023 and 2024 will be NAFTrack Certified for either paid or unpaid hours.   However, the class of 2024 must complete their hours before August 1, 2023 to get credit for unpaid hours.  The class of 2025 is required to get paid for their hours.  Always check back to see if NAF has changed the requirements.

    Do my service hours count for the internship?  NO!  However, this can be a tricky answer.  It is possible that you volunteer for more hours at your service hour location.  The easiest way to explain is that you cannot “double dip” and use your service hours towards your service hour medal AND your internship.  That would mean that you were completing the hours for a requirement and NOT volunteering.  For example, if you are required to complete 80 internship hours and want to get the 100 hour service medal, you’d need to complete 180 hours at your volunteer location.  You would be earning your 100 volunteer hours and your 80 internship hours.

    My family has a business.  Can I work for them?  The short answer is yes, BUT you need to meet a few requirements.  You need to be treated as a regular employee and your supervisor cannot be a relative.  You should be paid either minimum wage or a final stipend of $575.

    What if my internship has ended and I forgot to get the supervisor evaluation?  The NAF Supervisor Assessment is REQUIRED by NAF to get NAFTrack Certified.  Contact your supervisor by phone or email and set up an appointment to get your evaluation.  Discuss the evaluation form and email your supervisor a copy.  You’ll find a blank form on our website.  They are required to do the first 2 pages, but the third page is optional.  Have your supervisor email it back to you so you can post it on your digital portfolio internship page.

    How do I prove my hours or if I was paid?  You may use this Google Sheet to keep track of your hours.  If you were a volunteer, your supervisor must write a letter on company letterhead to me guaranteeing that you worked the required hours.  You may show your supervisor this example letter.  If you were hired and paid regularly, you may provide pay stubs and/or screenshots of your proof of hours.  Be sure YOUR NAME appears on both.  

    Where can I work?  High school students are pretty young to be able to work in the business, engineering, and medical fields, so your internship experience will mostly focus on your organization, leadership, and teamwork skills.  You can work or volunteer just about anywhere.  You are not required to work/intern in the same field as your academy theme.  Some work is not accepted: house sitting, pet sitting, or baby sitting.  

    What if I already have a job?  Can I use those hours towards the internship?  YES! You can keep your job and use that experience to complete all of the reflection assignments for your internship.

  • The Class of 2023 work experience/internship assignment and digital career portfolio deadline is March 17, 2023!   Academy students should NOT attempt to begin their hours until after they have completed 10th grade.